By Zana Frluckaj '19 During Black History month, Black Panther was released. The film made headlines due to its high revenue and ratings. The film, based on a fictional African area, Wakanda, depicted an African society with African Americans playing the lead roles of the film.
Students at Fontbonne Hall Academy have much to say on the topic. Winter Charles, an African American student in Fontbonne, shared her opinion on the film. “I think it’s an amazing movie. It depicts Africans as more than just the poor living in villages that people see on TV. There is a whole history behind Africa that is overlooked. It also portrays black women as strong, smart, and powerful. One of the main characters is an extremely intelligent girl who is a genius in STEM Technology. This film not only gives inspiration to blacks, but to women as well. Throughout film history, I don’t think I’ve seen this much positivity towards African Americans and Africans in general.” While Wakanda may be fictional, it is a segway to showing people around the world the truth about African culture. Director Ryan Coogler plans to direct a film about Mansa Musa, an African king who was known to be the richest man in the world at the time of his existence. His worth in the modern world reaches $400 billion.
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By Falon Veccia '18 Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released December 15th before the start of the new year, and has since stirred mixed feelings within the Star Wars fandom. After the last edition of the new Star Wars trilogy, The Force Awakens, was out in theaters, many fans were troubled by the lack of appearances made by Luke Skywalker in the film and were hoping to see lots of him in The Last Jedi.
What we did receive this time around was a more melancholy Luke who lost his endearing optimism that so many fans held onto. Rey, the lead female force user, serves as the beacon of hope in this trilogy and visits Luke on the island of Ancho-To to learn how to control her powers in the light to defeat the darksiders of First Order. What Rey receives for the majority of Luke’s screen time are lectures on how the Jedi should die and weariness of her intentions. All the major characters from The Force Awakens, except Han Solo, were back and better than ever. The resistance’s best pilot, Poe Dameron, took risky moves to do what he thought was right to protect the galaxy. Leia still mourns the loss of Han Solo and has a new spark of hope that Ben Solo may return to the light. Females are dominating the screen in this film, which gave an even greater sense of female empowerment in the Star Wars universe. The development of the newer characters seemed to be the focus in this trilogy, with less explanation on the drastic changes of our former beloved favorites. In The Force Awakens, the chemistry between Daisy Ridley, Rey, and Adam Driver, First Order superpower Kylo Ren, is undeniable. Their shared connection was confirmed in The Last Jedi. Rey and Ren had a series of moments together that shifted her intense hatred for him into compassion and hope. They had these galactic facetimes that linked them together galaxies apart, where a shirtless Ren appears to Rey and she later confesses her intense loneliness to him. Together they defeat the infamous leader of the First Order, Snoke, and share yet another moment together. Ren offers Rey a part in his rule of the galaxy, mirroring his grandfather Anakin Skywalker and his wife Padme. According to Lucasfilm creative executive Pablo Hidalgo, Ren was making it clear that he had compassion for her, could relate to her loneliness, and was allowing Rey an opportunity to shed that feeling. During Ren’s testament, he answered a question fans have been dying to know: who are Rey’s parents? It just so happens that they are nobodies. They’re junk traders who sold her off for a buck. But can you just take Kylo Ren’s word for it? That is something to question in the later installment coming out in 2019. What we know going off into the next film is that the First Order has a new supreme leader and Luke has been killed by his strenuous use of the force. By Gabriella Zuardo '20 Wondering how to kill time this weekend? I can suggest to you many good ideas for plans, such as meeting up with your friends or doing the homework you are procrastinating to do. If you aren’t seeking motivation to do your homework, then I recommend stopping by a movie theater. The movie theater is a simple way to spend time, take a break, and enjoy yourself. If you enjoy musicals and learning at least an iota of history, a movie you should inquire is The Greatest Showman. This movie is in the form of a musical focusing on the life of P. T. Barnum, who is the creative and ambitious man who invented the circus. In this film, Hugh Jackman plays the role of P. T. Barnum, alongside other well-known actors and actresses, including Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Michelle Williams. The goal of this movie is to inspire the viewers to believe in themselves and not hide away from the world. The movie explains that the best way to go through life is by facing your problems, instead of ignoring them and hiding. You have to break out of your shell and be yourself, even though you are different. Everybody is equal and has their own purpose in life. Nobody should destroy your self-esteem, nor take away your voice.
Something else to take into consideration and explore is the soundtrack for the film. The entertainment was gratifying and the music added greatly to the theme of the story. If you aren’t busy, spending time at home on your phone, and have interests in the film, I recommend you make your way to a movie theater near you! By Gabriella Zuardo '20 If you are looking for an intriguing book that you can’t put down, then Everything Everything is for you. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon is about a girl named Maddy who has a rare disease that makes her allergic to the outside world. The disease is a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, and Maddy refers to it as “bubble baby disease”.
Maddy has lived a full 17 years inside of her house, only regularly speaking to two other people, her mom and nurse, until one day when a family moves next door. Maddy’s attention focuses on the son of the family, named Olly, who she describes as tall, lean, and loves wearing black. Maddy knows she’s going to fall in love with Olly, but will their love last with Maddy’s disease? Everything Everything is a suspenseful, romantic, and enticing story that will have you questioning the worth of love and how important life really is. By Marissa DeVito '18 On October 10th, John Green released his new novel, Turtles All The Way Down. Green, the award-winning author of The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, had many fans and critics eagerly anticipating the arrival of his first book in five years.
The book is 304 pages, and so far has the awards of #New York Times Bestseller, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller, #1 International Bestseller, and USA Today Bestseller. It is Green's first mystery novel. The book follows the story of Aza, a 16-year-old who is faced with the task of investigating the case surrounding billionaire, Russell Pickett. Unlike her best friend Daisy, Aza never wanted to solve this mystery, On top of solving mysteries, Aza has to deal with her own thoughts which are often out of her control. The novel also explores mental illness. Aza has an extreme case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Green, who had a struggle with O.C.D, reflects his experiences through Aza. Senior, Kristina Zloklikovits, a long time fan of John Green for years, is eagerly excited to read Turtles All the Way Down. “I have been a fan of John Green for years now, I always enjoy his work and look forward to his new books! I am so excited to see what Turtles All the Way Down has to offer, I’m sure it will be another good read!" This book can be bought at Barnes and Nobles, Target, and on Amazon. By Gabriella Zuardo '20 This fall, there have been many new and impressive tv shows. On September 25, a new show created by David Shore, called The Good Doctor, premiered and brought attention to many viewers.
The Good Doctor is about Shaun Murphy, a surgeon with autism and savant syndrome. As viewers watch this show, they will learn a great deal of information about how an autistic person behaves and reacts in in certain situations. Be aware that the series contains graphic scenes of surgery, much medical information, and dialogue, as well as a heartfelt backstory on Shaun Murphy. This show is great for students who are interested in the medical field, family members of someone with autism, and simply anyone who is attracted to medical-drama. The tv series has only five episodes out right now and each episode has a time frame of 40-45 minutes. If you are done with homework on Monday night and feel the urge to be curious and watch something new, The Good Doctor is on at 10 p.m. on ABC. If you missed an episode and couldn’t record it go check out ABC’s website for the episode, or a recap of the episode at The Good Doctor on ABC. You will be amazed by Shaun Murphy’s view on things during the series! |
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